WIOA
places heightened emphasis on the alignment of programs that serve
out-of-school youth in order to ensure they obtain the skills necessary to
prepare for successful workforce participation and continued educational
achievement.

The Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed into law on July 22, 2014, presents a unique
opportunity for collaboration among the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the
U.S. Department of Education (ED), States, local workforce development areas,
other workforce and education partners, as well as social service providers, in
order to improve the lives of our nation’s out-of-school youth (OSY). WIOA places heightened emphasis on the
alignment of programs that serve out-of-school youth in order to ensure they
obtain the skills necessary to prepare for successful workforce participation
and continued educational achievement.

For many years, the adult
education program, administered by ED and authorized under title II of WIOA,
has reconnected older OSY with the educational system and equipped them with
the foundational skills to pursue postsecondary education, training, and
meaningful work. The formula youth program,
administered by DOL and authorized under title I of WIOA, requires that 75
percent of funds be used on services for OSY, which will assist young adults in
obtaining the necessary skills, including high school diplomas, to prepare for
and complete postsecondary education and training and achieve high levels of
career readiness. More than 5.5 million
youth between the ages of 16 and 24 without a high school diploma or an
equivalent are neither in school nor employed.
By working together, State and local workforce and education partners
can maximize the potential of these young adults through implementing
evidence-based practices to support the successful achievement of their
educational and career goals.

To facilitate these efforts,
the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education (Departments) are releasing a technical
assistance document that:

provide
strategies and examples of State and local partnerships that facilitate the
reengagement of OSY;

support
communities working with in-school youth in accordance with WIOA; and

address
strategies for serving out-of-school English learners, current and former
foster youth, and justice-involved youth.

These documents may be
distributed among all potential partners that serve youth and young
adults. The technical assistance
documents are available:

The technical assistance
provided in these documents offers a number of examples of ways in which
different partners can work together to build career pathways that are a
combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and support
services that align with local skill needs and prepare youth and young adults
to be successful in secondary or postsecondary education programs and the labor
market.

Ultimately, long-term success
for OSY will require engagement beyond the scope of workforce and education
agencies. It takes the engagement of
entire communities to catalyze change and create multiple pathways to
facilitate education, career, and lifelong success. These discussions, therefore, must include
businesses, colleges and universities, State and district superintendents,
teachers and other youth service providers, community-based organizations,
local social service agencies, and families and youth themselves.

We hope this technical
assistance series will support creative and impactful youth-focused strategies and be a resource in
engaging these diverse partners in this important work. Together we will strengthen our nation’s
workforce by supporting the nation’s youth in graduating from secondary and
postsecondary education programs, participating successfully in career
pathways, and achieving their career goals

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